Tags: egypt (18 pics) The Great Sphinx of Giza is a statue of a reclining lion with a human head that stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile, near modern-day Cairo, in Egypt. It is the largest monolith statue in the world, standing 73.5 m (241 ft) long, 6 m (20 ft) wide, and 20 m (65 ft) high. It is the oldest known monumental sculpture, and is commonly believed to have been built by ancient Egyptians in the third millennium BCE. Names of the Sphinx It is not known by what name the original creators called their statue, as the Great Sphinx does not appear in any known inscription of the Old Kingdom, and there are no inscriptions anywhere describing its construction or its original purpose. The commonly used name Sphinx was given to it in Classical antiquity, about 2000 (12 years ago) years after the accepted date of its construction, by reference to a Greek mythological beast with a lion's body, a woman's head and the wings of an eagle (although like most Egyptian sphinxes, the Great Sphinx has a man's head and no wings). The English word sphinx comes from the Ancient Greek Σφιγξ (sphingx), apparently from the verb σφιγγω (sphingo, English: I strangle), after the Greek sphinx who strangled anyone who failed to answer her riddle. The name may alternatively be a corruption of the Ancient Egyptian Shesep-ankh, a name given to royal statues of the Fourth Dynasty (2575–2467 BCE and later) in the New Kingdom (circa 1570–1070 BCE) to the Great Sphinx more specifically, although phonetically the two names are far from identical. In the New Kingdom, the Sphinx was also called Hor-em-akhet (Horus of the Horizon) (Hellenized: Harmachis), and the Pharaoh Thutmose IV (1401–1391 or 1397–1388 BCE) specifically referred to it as such in his Dream Stele. Medieval Arab writers, including al-Maqrīzī, call the Sphinx balhib and bilhaw, which suggest a Coptic influence. The modern Egyptian Arabic name is أبو الهول (transliteration: Abū al-Hūl; English: Father of Terror).

Navigation Previous picture Back to gallery Next picture View in fullscreen Rate this picture Click on the star to vote Download 1024x768 1152x864 - widescreen 1280x960 1440x1080 - 1080i HD 1600x1200 Use this wallpaper Set this wallpaper as homepage Comments

Users who have seen this wallpaper have also seen:

Taj Mahal, India

Tower Bridge, London, England

Castel Sant Angelo Bridge Rome Italy

Machu Picchu

Church in Rila Monastery

Random Known places pictures

Se Cathedral

Slottsfjellet, Tønsberg, Norway

Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II

Himeji Castle, Himeji, Japan

Čapljina - King Tomislav place

Request deletion of this wallpaper

Claim ownership of this picture